Thursday, October 21, 2010

Like Father Like Son

International Trade and Industry Deputy Minister Mukhriz Mahathir follows his father’s footsteps by reproaching and reviling the opposition for everything and anything that is wrong in this country. In Parliament yesterday, he blamed the opposition for the loss of foreign investor confidence in Malaysia, accusing their lawmakers of badmouthing the country abroad.

Mukhriz was responding to a supplementary question from Kuala Krai MP Dr Mohd Hatta Ramli on the 81 % drop in the country’s foreign direct investment (FDI) this year. The latter had suggested to the House that the drop in FDI ultimately pointed to the Malaysian Industrial Development Authority’s (MIDA) failure to carry out their responsibilities – to which Mukhriz had contested this view.

And then Mukhriz said something strange. He said that the 81 % drop in the country’s FDI corresponded with the worldwide drop of 37 % due to the global financial crisis. How can 37% compare to 81%? It’s more than double! He’s stupid or what?

And I don’t think I will hear the last of him! After blaming the opposition, next he will turn his gunsight on the Chinese, the Indians, globalization, democracy, El Nino, Lady Gaga and what-have-you! As I’ve said, like father, like son!

According to the Information, Communication and Culture Deputy Minister Joseph Salang Gandum, in his reply to a question from Kulim Bandar Baru MP Zulkifli Noordin during Question Time in Parliament this morning, the former confirmed that the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) had completed their investigation of the Hari Raya advertisement SinariLebaran (featured in my blog posting dated September 12, 2010) and decided to slap TV3 with the maximum RM50,000 compound under section 206(3) of the MCMC Act for humiliating and insulting Islam. Malaysians can be so overly-sensitive, it's not funny!